1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a connector connecting structure of a connector and a flat circuit body such as a FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) or a FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) where a plurality of conductors are arranged in a planar shape with a predetermined pitch for connecting connection terminals provided on the connector to the flat circuit body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, flat circuit bodies such as the above FPC or FFC are increasingly used as internal wiring materials of various electronic devices such as a digital camera, a printer, a cellular telephone and a Personal Computer (PC).
FIGS. 15 to 17 show an example of a related connecting structure of a connector and a flat circuit body such as a FPC or a FFC to connect the connector provided on a printed circuit board to the flat circuit body.
The connecting structure of the connector and the flat circuit body illustrated in FIGS. 15 to 17 is disclosed in JP-A-2006-85989.
The connecting structure of the connector and the flat circuit body includes a flat circuit body 110 in which a plurality of conductors are arranged in a planar shape with a predetermined pitch, a slider 120 which is attached near a distal end portion 111 of the flat circuit body 110, and a connector 130 to which the slider 120 is connected. When the slider 120 is connected to the connector 130 by being inserted into the connector 130 as shown with the arrow X1 in FIG. 15, the flat circuit body 110 is connected to the connector 130.
In the flat circuit body 110, as illustrated in FIG. 17, a plurality of connection terminal portions 112 are arranged with a predetermined pitch and exposed at the bottom surface 111a of the distal end portion 111.
As illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17, the slider 120 includes a slider body 121 which is attached to a top surface of the distal end portion 111 of the flat circuit body 110, and a cover 122 which is attached to the slider body 121 from the bottom surface side of the flat circuit body 110. The slider 120 is attached to the flat circuit body 110 so that when the distal end portion 111 of the flat circuit body 110 is held between the slider body 121 and the cover 122.
As illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17, the slider body 121 includes circuit body positioning projections 121a, cover retaining portions 121b and a housing coupling portion 121c. 
As illustrated in FIG. 17, the circuit body positioning projections 121a are projections that are projected from the inner surface of the slider body 121, and are engaged with positioning holes 113 which are formed at the distal end portion 111 of the flat circuit body 110.
When the circuit body positioning projections 121a are fitted with the positioning holes 113, the circuit body positioning projections 121a regulate the movement of the flat circuit body 110 in the widthwise direction (arrow Y2 direction in FIG. 17) and regulate the movement in the lengthwise direction (arrow X2 direction in FIG. 17).
The cover retaining portions 121b are projections that are provided at both ends of the slider body 121 in the widthwise direction, and fix the cover 122 by being engaged with engaging holes 122b on engaging pieces 122a provided at both ends of the cover 122 in the widthwise direction. After the distal end portion 111 is positioned to the slider body 121, by fixing the cover 122 to the slider body 121, the movement of the flat circuit body 110 in the thickness direction is regulated.
The widths of the slider body 121 and the cover 122 are set to larger than the width of the distal end portion 111 of the flat circuit body 1110 so that the side edges of the distal end portion 111 of the flat circuit body 110 will not be projected laterally.
In the housing coupling portion 121c, a retaining projection 1212 is projected from a retaining arm 1211 which is extended on the outer surface of the slider body 121. The slider 120 is fixed to the connector 130 by making the retaining projection 1212 to be engaged with a slider retaining hole 131 (refer to FIG. 15) provided on the connector 130.
The connector 130 includes a slider containing portion 132 into which the slider 120 is inserted, the slider retaining hole 131 which fixes the slider 120 to the connector 130 by being engaged with the retaining projection 1212 on the slider 120 which is inserted into the slider containing portion 132, and a terminal arrangement portion 133 which is equipped at a position facing the slider containing portion 132.
A plurality of connection terminals 133a are arranged in the terminal arrangement portion 133 with a predetermined arrangement pitch. The plurality of connection terminals 133a are terminals that are electrically connected to the connection terminal portions 112 on the flat circuit body 110 which is attached to the slider 120.
Since the positions of the side surfaces of the slider body 121 are regulated by the inside surfaces 134 which are faced to each other in the widthwise direction of the slider containing portion 132, the slider containing portion 132 also positions the slider 120 in the widthwise direction.
With the connecting structure of the connector and the flat circuit body in JP-A-2006-85989 described above, by inserting the slider 120, which is attached to the distal end portion 111 of the flat circuit body 110, into the slider containing portion 132 to connect the slider 120 to the connector 130, the conductors of the flat circuit body 110 are electrically connected to the connection terminals of the terminal arrangement portion 133 in the connector 130.